


Boy, you're an alien

by LonelyAngel



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Alien!Josh, Cute, Fluff, Human!Tyler, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, No Smut, Some Humor, Some angst, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-07
Updated: 2018-12-18
Packaged: 2019-03-15 02:56:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 19,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13604085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LonelyAngel/pseuds/LonelyAngel
Summary: "There's a fucking alien in your living room!" Mark exclaimed. "Are you crazy?""Calm down." Tyler sighed. "It's not dangerous."





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> this is a little bit weird I think

The popcorn was ready, a bottle of coke and a can of red bull was placed on the table right next to a bowl with nachos, chili dip and a bag of potato chips. Tyler carried the popcorn to the couch and sat down with a sigh. He was exhausted from work and just wanted to sit down and relax. He grabbed the remote and wanted to shove a handful of popcorn in his mouth when he heard a loud crash.

Tyler flinched and dropped the remote. He held his breath. It sounded like there had been a car accident outside. He stood up and hurried to the window.

Pushing the curtains back, he looked outside, only to see the empty street. Tyler furrowed his brows and opened the window to get a better overview, but there was no car accident. There was no one outside at all, all he could see was the moving curtain at his neighbor's window, who had been equally curious.

Tyler took a step back and walked back to the couch, picking the remote up when he heard another crash. It was not as loud as the first one and is sounded more like something was breaking apart. Tyler looked at the ceiling, expecting the house to collapse, but nothing happened.

He bit his lip and scratched his neck. Maybe the noise came from his garden.

Tyler grabbed a heavy pocket lamp and left his house through the back door. It was dark outside and Tyler was glad about the lamp. He switched it on and stopped when he saw his garden shed. The roof of the small shed was torn into pieces, small parts of the thin metal were scattered all over the grass. One wall of the shed had a big hole and the door was bent.

It looked like something heavy crashed right into the roof of the shed.

Tyler took a deep breath and tried to open the door. He had to pull with all his strength to open it, but after a minute, he succeeded, breathing heavily through his nose. He lighted the inside of the shed.

The small table along with the lawn mower was tripped over and there was some dirt on the floor, but what caught Tyler attention was the black stone on the ground. It was as big as a plate and had broken into three pieces. Tyler knelt down next to it. It was sparkling in the light of the lamp and there was something green inside it. It looked like a meteorite or something like that.

Tyler gasped when he saw the small green light in the middle of the stone. A small marble was shining in the middle of the black stone, illuminating the shed with its green light. Tyler stared at it for a few seconds before he noticed that it was pulsing. He reached out to grab the _thing w_ hen it moved upwards and started to float a few inches above the stone.

Tyler jumped up and took a few steps back. This looked like something supernatural and he didn't want to have anything to do with it. Maybe she should call the police or some FBI agents.

Tyler almost laughed when he thought about that. Yeah, calling FBI agents, what a great idea. How do you even call these agents? Did they have a website, a 24/7 service?

The green light was still floating and it didn't seem so threatening anymore. After all, it was just light, nothing dangerous, right?

He took a deep breath and reached out, wrapping his hand around the light. It was warm and vibrated softly against his palm. Tyler smiled. It felt nice. He looked around before he decided to hide the stone. Shoving the light in the pocket of his hoodie, pulling the zipper closed, he knelt down and pushed the stone under his workbench. He was sure it was better to hide it.

He left the shed without looking back, the light shining through the fabric of his hoodie. Tyler hurried to get back to his house. When he closed the door behind him, he took a deep breath and placed the pocket lamp on a table.

Before he sat down he shut all the curtains in his house and switched his alarm system on. He sat down on his couch, pulling the light out of his pocket. It floated a few inches above his hand, radiating warmth that Tyler could feel on his skin. He leaned forward to see what it was made of, but it was too bright for him to see any details.

Tyler shrugged and grabbed his laptop, eyeing the _thing_ that kept floating next to him. He started to look up articles about meteorites, aliens and so on, but there was way too much information and most of it just nonsense.

Tyler yawned and rubbed his face. He looked at the clock. It was already 2am and he was incredibly tired. The brunette decided to read only one article, but he was only halfway through when his eyes got heavy and he fell asleep.

 

The next day, Tyler woke up with a tense neck from sleeping in a sitting position and his laptop on his knees. He rubbed his eyes and placed the laptop on the floor, standing up and stretching his neck. When he looked around he noticed that something was missing.

Tyler needed a few seconds to understand that the light was gone. He turned and looked around, desperately trying to find it again. He cursed under his breath when he realized that the _thing_ could float and had probably floated out of his house. Tyler groaned. He was so stupid. Now it was gone and with it the possibility to find out what it was and where it came from.

He heard his stomach grumble and decided to have breakfast first. Walking in the kitchen he froze, seeing the light floating next to the fridge. Tyler's shoulders dropped in relief. He didn't know why, but he liked the _thing_ and having something supernatural in his house was really exciting.

He grabbed a bowl and some cereal, waving in front of the light when he wanted to open the fridge. He was surprised to see that it moved to the side. Tyler stared at it for a few seconds before he opened the fridge, grabbing a package of milk and walking back to the table.

He laughed quietly when he noticed that the light was following him. Tyler sat down and started eating.

"What are you?" he asked finally, but of course the light didn't answer.

Tyler sighed and finished his breakfast.

 

The light stayed by his side the entire day, following Tyler through the house. It felt nice, having company, even if it was not human, but Tyler decided peeing with the light next to him didn't work. He grabbed it and placed it in front of the door, closing the door and returning to the toilet, only to notice that the light followed him through the keyhole.

He needed three attempts until it stayed outside, waiting patiently for Tyler to finish. One day with it by his side and Tyler actually started talking to the _thing._ It was ridiculous and Tyler knew he should be scared that he would catch a deathly disease or some other alien virus, but he wasn't. It didn't seem dangerous and his guts were telling him the same.

It was 4pm and Tyler was watching Netflix, when his phone rang. He paused the show and stood up and answered the call, returning to the living room.

"Hey, Tyler, it's me, Mark."

"Hi, what's up?"

"Do you want to hang out?" Mark asked. "There's this sick video I edited and wanted to show it to you."

Tyler looked at the light. "Sound's good. There's something I want to show you, too, but you have to see it yourself. Can you be here by 4.30?"

"On my way." Mark answered and hung up.

Tyler grinned. Mark wouldn't believe his eyes.

 

Mark arrived half an hour later, his laptop in his arms. Tyler greeted him and Mark stepped inside, groaning about how cold it was outside.

Tyler grinned and helped him to carry his stuff to the living room. Mark followed him and stopped when he saw the light floating above the couch.

"Oh my gosh, what is that?" he asked. "Where did you get it?"

He crossed the room with a few quick steps and grabbed the light before Tyler could react. As soon as Mark touched the light, he hissed and jumped back.

The light flashed up angrily and floated into a corner.

"Jeez, what's wrong with this thing?" Mark looked at the fresh burn on his fingertips.

Tyler shrugged. "I don't know, it never burned me. I'll get you some ice." He hurried to the kitchen and returned with a few ice cubes.

Mark was blowing over his fingertips, eyeing the light from a safe distance. He gladly took the ice cubes Tyler handed him and pressed his fingertips against the ice.

"What the fuck is that?" Mark asked. "It looks very expensive, how does all the technology fit into this small orb?"

"Technology? I don't think there's technology in there." Tyler answered.

"But how does it float?" Mark furrowed his brows.

"I don't know." Tyler shrugged. "I didn't figure it out yet."

"Where did you buy it? I think the lamp isn't working and the heat is dangerous, whoever sold this should fix it." Mark looked at the water that dripped from his hands.

Tyler chuckled. "It's not a lamp."

"It isn't?" His friend looked at him. "What is it?"

Quickly, Tyler explained how the stone fell from the sky and crashed into his garden shed, where he found the light.

"So… you think this is something supernatural?" Mark looked at him wide-eyed.

"I think it is alive." Tyler responded. "It can react and it follows me around."

"So… you think this is an alien?"

"Maybe." Tyler bit his lip. "I don't know what it is exactly."

"There's a fucking alien in your living room!" Mark exclaimed. "Are you crazy?"

"Calm down." Tyler sighed. "It's not dangerous."

"Not dangerous?! It burned my hand! How can you be sure that this isn't going to kill you or spread some alien diseases? What if it is radioactive? I'm not going to calm down, you're insane!" Mark yelled.

"Mark, calm down! You attacked it! It was probably scared and just wanted to defend itself." Tyler explained.

"Scared?" Mark laughed hysterically. "Are you fucking kidding me? This _thing_ attacked _me!_ "

"C'mon, Mark, you're over-reacting." Tyler responded.

Mark stared at him for a few seconds, before he started to speak. "This-" he pointed at the light. "fell from the sky in your garden. And you think it's an alien so you just grabbed it and carried it into your house. You don't know what it is and you have no idea if it is dangerous. This _thing_ burned _my_ -" he pointed at himself "fingers and you're telling me to calm down. I don't think I'm over-reacting."

"How would you feel if someone you didn't know would try to grab you?" Tyler asked angrily.

"Tyler, do you even know what bullshit you're talking right now?" Mark yelled. "This… _alien…_ is not human! It's just a bunch of light!"

"It's more than that." Tyler said stubbornly. "I'll prove it to you." He walked to the light and reached out, his palm turned upwards. Slowly, the light floated over his hand. Tyler closed his hand around the light and looked at Mark.

"See? It's not hurting me."

Mark sighed and sat down on the couch, pinching his nose with his uninjured fingers. "I can't believe it." he muttered. "My friend has gone crazy."

"I'm not crazy." Tyler tried to defend himself. "And I know that it is not going to harm me."

"How do you know?" Mark asked and threw his hands up in desperation, accidentally throwing the ice cubes at Tyler, who got hit in the face.

"I just know." Tyler said and wiped the water off his face. "I can feel it." He opened his hand again and the light kept floating right in front of him.

Mark sighed loudly. "So you're going to keep it?"

"Yeah." Tyler grinned. "That's exciting, isn't it?"

Mark rolled his eyes. "I still hope this is a joke."

Tyler ignored him and smiled at the light. "You don't have to be scared, Mark is a nice guy. He's not going to hurt you."

"Are you talking to it?!" Mark stared at him. "Are you kidding me?"

"I'm sure it can hear me." Tyler said stubbornly and looked at the light. "Right? You can hear me, can't you?"

Right when Mark opened his mouth the light flashed up and Tyler turned at him with a satisfied grin. "See."

Mark shook his head and sighed again, sitting down on the couch and grabbing his laptop. "I'm dreaming." he mumbled. "And I want to wake up right now."


	2. Chapter 2

Mark left a few hours later after staring at the light with a frown the entire evening long.

"Dude, if I die tomorrow because of this thing I'm going to kill you." he said when Tyler shoved him out of the door because he was sick of Mark complaining all the time and telling him that he made a _terrible mistake_ and that the alien was _too dangerous to keep._

Tyler simply rolled his eyes. "If you die, then the next time Taco Bell's on me."

Mark sighed and walked to his car, waving goodbye at Tyler.

Tyler yawned and rubbed his eyes. Mark and he spent the day doing some research on the light and trying to find out what it was, but it didn't help at all.

The brunette returned to the living room to watch some tv. The light was already waiting for him, floating into his direction as soon as Tyler entered the room.

"Calm down, I'm not leaving." Tyler laughed and the light flashed happily.

"I'm glad I found you." Tyler said and sat down on the couch, grabbing a blanket and pulling it over his lap. "Or did you find me?"

The light didn't respond, just kept floating next to him. It almost felt like human company or a pet that you loved to have around you.

"I bet you'd be a great friend if you were human." Tyler mumbled. "We could do lots of cool stuff. I could show you the town and we could hang out. Maybe we could cuddle or something like that. I haven't cuddled anyone in a long time."

He sighed and watched the rest of the tv show in silence. Then, he decided to go to bed.

"I have work tomorrow." Tyler explained to the light and stood up, stretching and yawning. He brushed his teeth and changed into a loose shirt and boxer briefs.

Tyler climbed on the bed and pulled the covers to his chin. The light kept floating next to him.

Tyler closed his eyes but opened them a second later. "You're too bright. Can you stay outside the room, please?"

The light remained at its spot above the bed but the bright green turned into a very dark green that looked almost black.

"That works, too." Tyler mumbled and closed his eyes.

 

The next day, Tyler woke up when his alarm clock went off. He groaned and sat up, rubbing his eyes. He didn't want to get up, the bed was just too comfortable.

With a deep sigh, Tyler got dressed and had breakfast. Of course, the light was next to him again, as bright as usual.

"I have to go to work, I can't take you with me." Tyler explained. "You have to stay at home."

The light didn't seem to understand because it followed him to the door.

Tyler grimaced. He was already late and couldn't spend more time on trying to convince the light to stay at home. He grabbed a tall glass from the kitchen and turned it over, placing it over the light on the kitchen table, so it was caught inside.

"Sorry, dude." Tyler really felt bad, but he had to leave right now. "I'll be back in a few hours." He ripped his gaze away from the alien and left the house, shutting the door behind him.

 

His job was really boring so Tyler was glad when he could return home around 5 pm. He unlocked the front door and entered the house, walking straight to the kitchen. He gasped when he noticed the shattered glass on the floor. The light was floating in a corner, flashing angrily when Tyler tried to approach it.

"I'm sorry, please don't be mad." Tyler bit his lip. The light ignored him and floated away to the living room.

Tyler started to pick up the glass from the floor. It seemed like the alien was pouting and mad at him. He threw the glass in the trash bin and walked to the living room where he found the light hovering over the couch table.

"I'm sorry, I won't lock you inside my house again." he said. "It was a dumb idea." He took a step towards the light but it floated away from him.

Tyler rolled his eyes. "You know that is childish. You should feel bad, too, you broke my glass."

The alien ignored him and Tyler huffed. "Okay. Two can play this game."

 

They ignored each other for a few hours, but when Tyler prepared dinner for himself, he suddenly felt the warmth of the alien next to his cheek. He turned his head and found the light right next to him. Tyler smiled. It seemed like everything was fine between them.

"I still wish you could talk to me." he said and smiled sadly. He was already used to the presence of the alien and he knew he'd miss it when it would decide to leave someday.

Tyler took a deep breath. He knew he was being weird but so many strange things had happened the last days and wishing your new alien friend was human really wasn't the weirdest thing.

 

A few days went by, Mark didn't die and Tyler was glad about it. Mark was still a little skeptical towards the new "roommate", but he finally gave up to convince Tyler that the _thing_ was dangerous. He just made fun of Tyler talking to the alien, like it could hear him, but the brunette ignored him. He liked the alien a lot and even would call it a friend.

After a long explanation and Tyler trying again and again, the alien understood that it couldn't go to work with Tyler. It seemed like it was scared to be left alone, but it learned that Tyler would come home at the end of the day.

Still, Tyler didn't know how much the alien actually understood and how much was just his imagination.

One morning, it was a Saturday, Tyler woke up early. He didn't know why, it just felt like something was off. He opened his eyes and blinked, staring at the ceiling. He couldn't recall what he had been dreaming, maybe a nightmare woke him up?

Tyler pondered what else could be the reason why he woke up when he heard a weird noise. Tyler furrowed his brows, still looking at the ceiling, trying to identify where it came from.

It sounded like air whooshing in and out of something. Was it a fan or did he forget to close a window?

Suddenly, it clicked in Tyler's mind.

Someone was breathing. Right next to him.

Slowly, holding his breath, Tyler turned his head to the right.

The first thing he saw was bright pink hair, then a nose and then the rest of the face that wasn't hidden between the covers. A hand was resting next to the face, attached to a pale arm that was part of the body right next to him.

Tyler's eyes widened. There was a stranger. In his bed. Sleeping.

As quietly as possible, he sat up, pushing the covers away and dropping down on the floor. He crawled away and stood up in a safe distance, eying the stranger.

Why was there a man in his bed?

Tyler realized that he had been holding his breath the entire time and breathed in quietly. Then, he reached over to the table, unplugging his phone from the charger.

He wanted to dial 911, but hesitated. Maybe he should call Mark first.

Quickly, he dialed the number of his friend, always glancing at the man on the bed to see if he was waking up.

Mark answered the phone after Tyler let it ring over a minute.

"Tyler… it's 7 in the morning." Mark groaned. "Why are you calling me this early?"

"Mark." Tyler whispered. "Mark, I need your help."

"What's wrong?" Mark asked, sounding more awake right now.

"There's someone in my house." Tyler breathed into the phone.

"What? Did you call the police?"

"No. It's a man and he's sleeping. In my bed, Mark, he sleeping in my freaking bed! I woke up next to him and he scared me to death!"

"Are you hungover?" Mark chuckled. "Are you on drugs? I told you not to overdo it."

"This is not funny!" Tyler hissed. "There's a stranger in my bed and he's naked."

"Well, are you sure you're not hungover? Sounds like a hook up to me." Mark yawned. "I'm sure you were wasted yesterday and now you can't remember what happened. Is your ass sore?"

"Mark, stop joking!" Tyler whined. "I really need your help, I didn't go out yesterday and I've never seen him before."

"Maybe you should wake him up and ask him." Mark suggested.

"What if he's a murderer?" Tyler asked in panic. "What if tries to kill me?"

"Then I don't have to kill you for waking me up when I wanted to sleep in, just because of your one-night stand. Calm down, Tyler. He's not gonna murder you. Just talk to him, man."

Tyler sighed and looked at the stranger. He didn't seem so threatening anymore.

"Okay." Tyler whispered and turned away from the bed. "I'll wake him up."

"Good luck. I'll go to sleep again." Mark answered. "Text me when you found out who he is."

"Okay. Bye." Tyler hung up and turned back to the bed. He screamed and jumped backwards when he saw that the man was watching him with glowing, yellow eyes.

The man seemed scared too, because he stared at Tyler in shock. He opened his mouth, Tyler saw that he had fangs and that's where he freaked out.

Tyler turned and ran out of the room, slamming the door behind him, just trying to get away from the… _monster_ inside his bedroom.

He hid in the kitchen, trying to catch his breath and calm down.

There was some kind of weird creature in his house. He should call the police. He totally should.

Instead, Tyler grabbed a knife from the drawer and walked back to his bedroom, carefully looking left and right.

Before he opened the door, he took a deep breath. He could do this.

Tyler grabbed the door handle and jumped into the room, holding the knife in front of him.

The creature was still sitting on the bed, the covers almost completely pulled over its body and stared at Tyler wide-eyed.

When it saw the knife in Tyler's hands it crawled away from him, falling off the bed and ripping the covers down with it. It pressed itself against the wall, turning its head away and whimpering quietly.

Tyler was confused. Besides the fangs and the yellow eyes, the creature looked like a normal human being. And it seemed to be scared of him, not the other way round.

He approached it, what caused it to squeeze its eyes closed and shrink further into the sheets that were wrapped around it.

Tyler noticed that it was shaking terribly.

"Hey…" he whispered and stepped closer, placing the knife on the table beside him.

The creature sucked in a breath and tried to appear as small as possible.

Tyler knelt down, when he realized that it was afraid of him. "Don't be scared, I won't hurt you." he said quietly. "You're safe here." He continued talking to the creature, reassuring it that it wasn't in danger.

Slowly, it stopped shaking and turned its head towards Tyler, looking at him with fright in its yellow eyes.

"Who are you?" Tyler asked. He decided that he was going to pretend that he was talking to a human being. That was easier. He didn't want to think about what it really was. Not yet.

The "man" didn't answer, he just looked at Tyler, his arms wrapped around his body protectively.

Slowly, Tyler reached out to touch him, to help him stand up, but the second his fingers brushed the pale skin, the stranger went limp and passed out.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is still weird

Tyler stared at the man before he jumped forward to grab his shoulders.

"Crap!" he mumbled and started to shake him. "Hey! Can you hear me? Wake up!"

The man didn't move, his limp body shook helplessly and he hit the wall with his head. Tyler grimaced and withdrew his hands. The man's head tilted to the side and Tyler bit his lip. He grabbed the man and dragged him onto the bed. 

Should he call an ambulance? What if the stranger was dead?

He wanted to grab his phone when the stranger groaned quietly. Tyler released a breath and pressed two fingers against his wrist, taking the man's pulse. His heart was racing under his fingertips, showing that he man was still alive although his eyes were closed.

Maybe calling an ambulance for some kind of fantasy creature wasn't a good idea. Tyler wrapped an arm around the man's waist and supported his head with his other hand, pulling him down so he was lying in the middle of the bed, head tilted to the side.

Tyler walked to the bathroom, soaking a washcloth with water and returned to the bedroom, crawling on the bed next to the man and placed the washcloth on his forehead. Then he pulled the covers over his crotch because the nudity of the man made him uncomfortable.

The man stirred slightly and Tyler decided that it was a good sign. He wasn't used to people passing out on his bed and he felt overwhelmed by the situation. He spent the next minutes wiping away the water drops that started to run down the man's face, taking his pulse and trying to remember how he got in his house.

By the time the stranger sighed quietly and opened his eyes, Tyler still didn't know what happened. Yellow eyes met his own and the man looked at him in confusion, before he seemed to realize where he was.

He gasped and sat up, flinching when the washcloth fell into his lap and soaked the covers.

"Hey." Tyler said quietly and climbed off the bed, taking a few steps back. He moved slowly, trying not to scare the stranger.

The man looked at him in fear, his hands were shaking and he was gasping for breath.

"I won't hurt you. You're safe." Tyler said and raised his hands, showing he was no threat.

The man still seemed scared so Tyler sat down on the floor, crossing his legs and placing his hands on his thighs.

"I'm sorry or freaking out earlier." he said and looked at the stranger on his bed. "I woke up with you next to me and you have yellow eyes and freaking fangs and it scared me. I don't even know you. Who… what are you?" he asked.

The man didn't respond, he just looked at Tyler with a hint of fear in his eyes.

Tyler sighed. "Can you understand me?"

Nothing.

"You know, a few strange things happened the last few days. First, this alien appears in my garden and now you are in my-" he froze and then jumped up. "The alien! Where is it?" Tyler looked around, trying to catch a glimpse of the green light, but it was gone.

Tyler cursed under his breath and left the room, searching through the house, even calling for the light to come back. After ten minutes, he walked back to the bedroom. The man was still sitting at the same spot, watching him and Tyler sighed and sat down on the floor, his head hitting the wall.

"It's gone." he said quietly and buried his face in his hands, tears threatening to spill out of his eyes. He was stressed out and scared because of the things happening around him, but the loss of his new friend hurt him deeply. A sob escaped his lips and he couldn't hold his tears back any longer.

Tyler heard sheets rustling and then quiet footsteps. When he looked up, the man was kneeling in front of him, his hand reaching out to touch Tyler's hair.

The brunette held his breath when the man started to stroke his hair carefully, his brows furrowed and biting his lip, fangs poking into his bottom lip.

After a few seconds, Tyler understood that the man tried to comfort him and he stopped crying, wiping his tears away. "Thank you." he said quietly. "I just miss my new alien-friend."

The man moved his lips as if he wanted to say something, his face scrunched up in effort, trying to speak, but no sound left his lips. After a minute, he gave up with a sigh.

"What do you want to say me?" Tyler asked and the man pondered for a moment before he pointed at himself.

"You? What about you?" Tyler asked in confusion.

The man pointed at himself again and then at Tyler. The brunette shook his head, he didn't understand.

The man repeated his gesture and then pointed at the ceiling, his tongue poking through his lips.

"What do you…" Tyler trailed off, thinking hardly. After a few seconds, he jumped up, the man flinching and crawling backwards.

"Are… are _you_ the alien?" Tyler asked.

The man nodded happily, a smile spreading on his lips and Tyler looked at him wide-eyed. "That's not possible." he whispered.

He stared at the man on the floor in disbelief. "I…I can't believe…" He took a deep breath. "I'll call Mark." He grabbed his phone from the table and dialed Mark's number. The man watched him curiously.

"Mark? It's me, Tyler."

"Tyler!" Mark laughed quietly. "You're still alive, I guess?"

"Very funny." Tyler sighed. "I need your help, man."

"Did you find out who the stranger is?" Mark asked.

"Yeah… no… I mean, he says he is an alien, the light I mean, it changed its form, you know?"

"Uh… what?" Mark asked in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"The man, he's the alien I found a few days ago." Tyler scratched his head. "It makes sense, the alien was in my room when I fell asleep and now it is gone. He looks human but he has yellow eyes and fangs and honestly I'm overwhelmed by the situation and I don't know what to do."

"Wait." Mark took a deep breath. "Are you serious? Did he tell you that he's an alien?"

"Uh, no, he can't speak, I guess he's mute. He signed it with his hands. I think he can understand me." Tyler watched the man who looked at his own hands with a big smile like he couldn't believe they were real.

"Geez, Tyler, did you smoke weed or what?" Mark laughed again, but it sounded fake.

"No, Mark, just come here, okay?" Tyler answered.

"Okay." Mark said hesitantly. "But I swear to god, if you're joking…"

"I'm not." Tyler said angrily. "Just come here and see it yourself."

"Okay. Bye."

Mark hung up and Tyler fumbled with the phone in his hands, looking at the alien on the floor. The man was currently tugging at his pink hair and twisting a few pink strands around his fingers.

"Yeah, you have hair." Tyler rolled his eyes. "Amazing, isn't it?" He walked over to his wardrobe, grabbing a few clothes and dropped them on the floor next to the man.

"Can you get dressed, please? I don't think you should be naked all the time."

The man looked up, but didn't seem to understand. Tyler sighed and started to help him get dressed. The man giggled and touched Tyler's face when Tyler tried to pull a shirt over his head. After a few minutes, he gave up and decided that boxer briefs and pants were enough for now.

It felt like taking care of a child.

The doorbell rang and Tyler told the man to stay in the room, running downstairs and opening the door.

"So, where is he?" Mark asked.

Tyler sighed. "Upstairs."

They heard a loud crash and Tyler froze. Then, he turned, racing upstairs, Mark slamming the front door shut and following him.

Tyler groaned as soon as they entered the bedroom. The man was standing next to the table, looking at them wide-eyed. Tyler grabbed his laptop from the floor and sighed when he noticed the crack on the display.

"You broke my laptop." he said and looked at the alien angrily. "Do you know how expensive a new one is?"

The man bit his lip and avoided Tyler gaze.

"Of course you don't." Tyler huffed and placed the broken laptop on the table. The man took a step back in fear.

"Well." Tyler turned and looked at Mark. "This is the thing that I woke up next to."

Mark stared at the man. "Holy shit… he really has yellow eyes."

"Yeah." Tyler shrugged. "And fangs. He looks like a cat or something."

"Does he have a name?" Mark asked curiously.

Tyler looked at the man. "Do you have a name?" he asked and the man looked at him for a few seconds before he hesitantly shook his head.

"Well, I'm Mark." the videographer extended his hand but the man just stared at it instead of shaking it. Mark shrugged and dropped his hand. "And the lovely boy next to me is Tyler, my best friend. He is the one who found you. You already know him. Do you like him?"

Tyler laughed quietly. "Do you really expect him to answer?"

Mark shrugged. "I don't think he's dumb. Maybe he just speaks a different language."

"Maybe. And now? I don't think it's a good idea if he stays here." Tyler said.

Mark looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "But keeping the light was alright?"

"Well, the light didn't break my laptop."

"But it burned my hand." Mark argued. "I don't think we should kick him out of the house. If he really is an alien then we shouldn't let him go outside. Everybody will notice his eyes and his fangs. And clearly, he doesn't know how to behave."

"So you want me to babysit him?" Tyler muttered. "What if he bites me?"

Mark rolled his eyes. "Seriously? A few days ago I tried to convince you that keeping the light was too dangerous and now you want him to leave?"

"I don't want him to leave." Tyler defended himself. "I just don't know what to do."

"Maybe you should give him something to eat first. He's probably hungry."

Tyler looked at the man who played with the belt loops of his pants. "Probably. Let's get some breakfast."

"Good idea." Mark agreed. "Come with us, alien guy."

Tyler smiled. "I don't think that's going to work." he said and took the hand of the man. He looked at Tyler in surprise and then followed him downstairs.

In the kitchen, Tyler told the man to sit down at the table and poured some cereal into a bowl along with some milk. He placed it on the table in front of the man and sat down next to Mark, filling his own bowl with cereal. Mark and he started to eat while the man grabbed the spoon, turning it in his hand.

"Do aliens eat cereal?" Tyler asked after a while.

"I don't know if they eat at all." Mark said. "Maybe he just doesn't like cereal."

"I don't think so. Look." Tyler pointed out. The man had watched them eating for a few minutes, but then hesitantly shoved a spoonful of cereal in his mouth. Half of it splashed back into the bowl, but he didn't seem to mind. He chewed and a smile spread on his face.

"You should give him a name." Mark said finally. "I think it would make it easier to talk to him."

Tyler looked at the man who seemed to enjoy eating cereal way too much and pondered for a moment. "I think the name Josh would fit."

"Josh?" Mark chuckled. "Okay, then his name's Josh. If he likes it."

"Hey!" Tyler nudged the man with his elbow. He looked up from his bowl. "From now on, your name's Josh, okay?"

The man furrowed his brows.

Tyler pointed at himself, then at his friend and finally at the alien. "I'm Tyler. This is Mark. And you're Josh."

The alien pointed at himself.

"Yeah, that's your name." Tyler grinned.

Josh smiled so brightly that his eyes started to crinckle and hummed quietly.

"He seems to like it." Tyler said happily and smiled, hoping him and Josh would get along better in the future.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so slow with updating, I'm sorry

After Josh finished eating, Tyler cleaned the table while Mark tried to talk to the alien.

"Can you say your name?" he asked and leaned forward. Josh stared at him in confusion.

"Say your name. _Josh_." Mark said dragging out the 'o'. Josh smiled brightly when he heard his own name.

Tyler put the jam back into the fridge. "What if he can't talk? Maybe his body is different than yours." he said.

"He changed from the light into a human being, I'm sure he can talk." Mark explained. "Look, Josh, try a little bit harder for me, okay? Say your name."

Josh didn't respond, he just poked Mark's cheek and giggled when Mark sighed.

"It won't work, Mark." Tyler smiled.

"Don't give up yet." Mark said stubbornly. "Josh, come on!"

Josh pointed at himself when he heard his name.

Mark nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, that's your name. And I'm Mark." he added slowly.

Josh pointed at him and Mark grinned. "Yeah, that's me. And the handsome guy over there is Tyler, your daddy."

"I'm not his daddy!" Tyler protested.

Josh smiled at him and Tyler's heart melted a little bit. "Anyway, I need to get some groceries, I can't eat toast and cereal every day."

"Will you take him with you?" Mark asked.

"Probably not." Tyler bit his lip. "His eyes are way too conspicuous."

"Well, I can't take care of him, I need to get some work done at home." His friend shrugged.

"Oh, come on, Mark, it won't take long. I'll get you ice cream if you stay here a little longer." Tyler begged.

Mark hesitated for a few seconds. "Okay." he agreed finally.

"Thank you!" Tyler grabbed his keys and his wallet, ruffling Josh's hair as he walked by. Josh turned his head and nuzzled into his hand. Tyler stopped and looked at him in surprise.

"Seems like he likes you." Mark grinned and winked. Tyler rolled his eyes and ran his hand through Josh's hair one last time before he squeezed Mark's shoulder.

"Bye. See you later."

"Don't take too long." Mark responded.

"I won't." Tyler promised and left the room.

 

Tyler didn't stop thinking about Josh and wondering if he changed to a human being just to please him. After all, he told the alien that he wanted a friend.

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice that he had been staring at a shelf full of cereal for several minutes until an old lady asked him if he was okay. Tyler nodded and grabbed a few boxes of cereal.

On his way back to the car he realized that he bought lots of cereal, jam and toast but not something you could really cook with. Tyler sighed and dropped the bag on the backseat of his car, buckling himself up and turning on the ignition.

Somehow he needed almost an hour until he arrived back home. Strangely, the thought of Josh didn't leave his mind for a single moment.

When he turned the key and opened the front door, he heard a yelp and a weight sent him crashing to the ground. Tyler dropped the bag and tried to catch himself, but it was too late. Milk splashed everywhere and his elbow hit the door frame. All he could see was pink hair before he felt a face being pressed into his neck and strong arms wrapping around his shoulders.

Tyler blinked in confusion and heard Mark laughing loudly. He turned his head and noticed that Josh was sitting on him, hugging him tightly.

"Get off me." Tyler groaned and tried to push him off.

Josh whined and clung to him.

"He missed you." Mark explained and pulled Josh softly away from Tyler, offering his hand to Tyler. The brunette grabbed it and stood up, rubbing his elbow.

"Duh!" Tyler glared at him. "You could've stopped him."

"He was fast." Mark shrugged. "As soon as he heard the key turning in the lock, he was running towards the door."

Tyler grimaced and cupped his elbow, looking at the milk that was covering the floor, before looking at Josh angrily.

Josh bit his lip and hid behind Mark, glancing at him sheepishly.

"Don't be mad at him." Mark said. "He doesn't know that you usually don't jump on people when they come home."

Tyler sighed. He stepped in, carefully avoiding the liquid. "I'll clean this up." he said. "Thank you for taking care of him, Mark."

"No problem, man." Mark grinned. "Don't snap at him."

"I won't." Tyler promised. "And I'm sorry, I forgot your ice cream."

"Doesn't matter." Mark hugged Josh and said goodbye to Tyler, before he rushed to his car, driving off. Tyler closed the door and placed the dripping bag of groceries on a table.

"Look at the mess you made." Tyler said playfully. "Now I have to clean it up."

Josh looked at him guiltily, rubbing his arms awkwardly. Tyler watched him sternly, but with a smile tugging at his lips. Josh looked so cute, like a child that was sorry for breaking something.

"It's alright." Tyler reassured him and petted his head before he started to clean the mess up.

Josh smiled when Tyler placed a hand on his shoulder leading him to the living room. "We should watch tv." he said and sat down on the couch, pulling Josh down next to him.

Josh seemed like he wasn't interested in the tv, because after a few minutes he laid down and shifted around until his head was resting on Tyler's shoulder. Tyler ran his hand through his hair, scratching his scalp lightly while watching the tv show. Josh purred and Tyler looked at him in surprise.

"I knew it." he said quietly. "You're not human, you're a cat."

Josh sighed contently when Tyler kept running his fingers through his hair and Tyler smiled. He had to admit, the alien was cute. A little bit clumsy but cute nonetheless.

Josh shivered and closed his eyes, nuzzling into Tyler's chest.

After a couple of minutes, Josh's breathing became deeper and Tyler knew he had fallen asleep.

 

Right when the tv show was over, Josh woke up again. He blinked tiredly and yawned. Tyler watched him sitting up.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked and kissed Josh's forehead. Josh wrapped his arms around him and pulled him closer.

"Oh, you like to cuddle?" Tyler smiled and pulled him on his lap. Josh buried his face in his neck and Tyler traced his hands over Josh's bare back. His skin was soft and his shoulders were covered with tiny freckles that looked adorable. "You're really cute." Tyler hummed.

They stayed like this for almost half an hour. Then, Tyler softly lifted Josh off his lap and sat him down on the couch. It was more difficult to lift a grown up man up than a little child, but Tyler succeeded.

"I think you should wear a shirt." Tyler said and left, only to come back a few seconds later with a baggy tshirt, pulling it over Josh's head. Josh ran his hands over the soft fabric and smiled happily.

"It looks great on you. And it'll keep you warm." Tyler added.

He turned and wanted to leave the room when he heard a whisper.

"Daddy."

Tyler turned and looked at Josh who stretched his arms out. "Daddy!"

Tyler frowned. "Mark!" he growled.


	5. Chapter 5

"Daddy!" Josh said one last time and Tyler shook his head.

"Nonono, it's Tyler, my name's Tyler."

Josh bit his lip and dropped his hands into his lap.

Tyler sighed and rubbed his eyes. "I'll make dinner."

He walked to the kitchen and decided to cook pasta. He wasn't good at cooking at all, but Mac n cheese and pasta with tomato sauce was easy. Okay, yeah, the pasta was almost overcooked and the sauce had a burnt taste, but it could be worse.

Josh sat on the counter of the kitchen and watched him.

"Dinner's ready." Tyler said proudly and placed two pasta filled plates on the table. Josh hopped down and sat down at the table.

Tyler handed him a fork and started to eat. Josh had difficulties with using the fork and soon his shirt was stained. Tyler sighed and stood up to wipe it away. Josh giggled when Tyler rubbed over his chest, leaving wet spots where he tried to wash away the stains. Soon, he gave up and sat down again, telling Josh to finish eating.

After dinner, Tyler placed the plates in the sink and grabbed Josh's hand. "Let's go to bed, big boy." Tyler was dead tired. He was glad that the next day was a Sunday.

Josh followed him to Tyler's room and jumped on the bed. Tyler smiled and pulled his own shirt over his head. Josh did the same, but halfway through, he got stuck and whimpered. Tyler chuckled and helped him with his shirt, throwing it on the pile of dirty clothes. He pulled his pants down and slipped under the covers only in his boxer briefs. Josh followed soon after, scooting closer to Tyler and curling himself up at Tyler's chest. Tyler hummed quietly and wrapped his arms around him. They fell asleep pretty quickly.

 

The next day, Tyler woke up because Josh was poking him. Tyler groaned and opened his eyes. Josh was wide awake and poked him again.

"Are you bored?" Tyler asked and yawned.

Josh only smiled and pinched his side. Tyler yelped and Josh laughed. Tyler rolled his eyes and sat up. He stretched his arms and suddenly jumped on Josh, tickling him.

Josh shrieked and tried to crawl away, laughing when Tyler kept tickling him.

"You like that, huh?" Tyler grinned and ran his fingers along Josh's neck. Josh squirmed and giggled. After a few minutes, Tyler stopped and placed a kiss on his nose.

"Let's get up."

They had breakfast and Tyler spent the rest of the day cleaning and washing his clothes. He told Josh to stay in the living room and watch tv while he cleaned the kitchen.

Tyler texted Mark, telling him that he wasn't happy about the fact that Mark made Josh call him daddy and Mark replied a few minutes later, telling him to loosen up.

It was a pretty relaxing day. Tyler even convinced Josh to take a bath, although it ended with Tyler dripping wet and bubbles all over his face. Josh had fun and fell asleep on the floor while Tyler blow-dried his pink hair.

Tyler carried him to the bed and tucked him in. He sighed when he realized that he had to go to work the next day. He would love to cuddle with Josh all day long, but he had bills to pay.

 

His alarm clock woke Tyler way too early. He was tired, but he had to get up. Josh followed him through his house when Tyler got ready for work. He even wanted to leave the house with Tyler.

"You can't go with me, Josh." Tyler explained. "I have to go to work. Stay here and wait for me, okay?"

Josh nodded sadly and Tyler ruffled his hair. Josh pouted and ran his hands through it to style it. Tyler laughed and patted his shoulder before he left the house.

Work was boring and Tyler couldn't wait until he could clock out and go home.

As soon as he opened the front door, Josh pulled him into a hug. Tyler hugged him back briefly before he walked to the kitchen.

"I'm starving!" he groaned and opened the fridge, grabbing jam and toast.

Josh insisted to sit on his lap while Tyler ate. Sometimes, he'd take a bit of Tyler's toast and ended up with jam smeared over his face. Tyler chuckled and wiped the jam away.

He wanted to wash his hands after they finished eating, but realized that he needed to buy soap. And milk. And wash powder.

Deciding not to make the same mistake again, he sat down at the table, writing a list with all the things he needed to buy. When he grabbed his car keys and wallet to leave the house, Josh whined and grabbed his wrist, pulling him away from the front door.

"Josh, stop it." Tyler sighed and forced him to let go of his wrist. "I need to go. We need to eat and to wash our clothes."

Josh wrapped his arms around him and didn't want to let go.

"I'm sorry, hun." Tyler said and walked to the front door, trying to get Josh off him. "I would take you with me, but you can't go outside with your fangs and yellow eyes."

Josh looked at him and took a step back, biting his lip.

"Good boy." Tyler praised and grabbed the door handle, when Josh spun him around. He stared at Tyler intensely. Tyler gulped and flinched when he noticed that Josh's eyes color was changing. The yellow turned darker until his eyes were brown, just like Tyler's. Josh took a deep breath and his fangs seemed to retract until he showed his white, normal teeth.

Tyler stared at him. "How did you… nevermind." he shook his head. Josh was an alien, after all. Maybe he had some sort of superpower to change the way he looked. It had to be this way, since he changed from the light into a human being.

Tyler helped Josh to slip on a jacket and they walked to the car. When Josh looked around in awe, he realized that this was the first time that Josh was outside. He helped him to sit down on the passenger's seat and buckled him up.

Tyler drove to the next store while Josh watched the cars passing by, his hand placed on the window and his tongue poking through his lips. It was kinda cute.

When they arrived at the store, Tyler parked the car and they got out. Josh flinched when he heard a baby crying loudly and a few kids running around, yelling loudly.

Tyler noticed that he was nervous, Josh's hands were shaking slightly and his shoulders were tensed. The alien looked around, amazed and a little bit scared. Tyler grabbed his hand and Josh relaxed, a soft sigh escaping his lips.

"You're safe." Tyler reassured him and they walked to the store.

Tyler grabbed a shopping cart and they walked through the store, Tyler picking the things he needed and placing it inside. When they reached the cereal aisle, Josh pointed at Reese's puffs and Tyler grabbed it with a smile. Sometimes, Josh would grab something and place it inside the cart and Tyler would explain that they didn't need ten toothbrushes. Josh pouted and ignored him until he saw an alien mask. He grabbed it and showed it to Tyler.

Tyler laughed and told him that he could have it. Josh smiled happily and placed it carefully inside the cart.

There was a small line in front of the checkstand and they had to wait. Tyler was checking his phone while Josh played with Tyler free hand, intertwining their fingers. Suddenly, he saw the gum packs next to them and tugged at Tyler's hand excitedly.

"Daddy!" he said and Tyler turned his head.

"Hm?"

"Daddy." Josh said again and pointed at the gum packs. Tyler bit his lip and smiled.

"Do you want one?"

Josh nodded and smiled. Tyler grabbed a pack and handed it to Josh. "There you go, baby boy."

Tyler flinched when he heard someone clear their throat behind them. He turned. A woman with a little child on her arm stared at them.

"Mommy, why did the pink-haired man call him daddy?" the child asked and looked at them.

"Because they're kinky. They're boyfriends and it seems like they have a daddy kink." the woman explained quietly and gave Tyler a disapproving look. Tyler blushed terribly. He was sure his face was dark red when he turned and started to pay for the groceries.

It didn't help that Josh decided that Tyler's hair was suddenly way more interesting than his hand and started to pull it.

"Stop it." Tyler mumbled and swallowed when he saw that the cashier was close to start laughing. Tyler hurried to pay and left the store almost running.

When they sat in the car, ready to drive home, Tyler started grinning and then laughing. It was funny with Josh. The alien looked at him like Tyler was going insane, while the boy tried to stop his laughing fit.

"You're so cute." Tyler said finally and wiped the tears away that had started to spill out of his eyes. Josh looked at him in concern and Tyler chuckled when he realized that Josh didn't understand what was going on.

Tyler took a deep breath and grabbed Josh's hand, squeezing it. "I'm so glad I met you. But, please, stop calling me daddy."

Josh smiled and sighed happily. Tyler turned the ignition and started to drive home.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everybody for your patience! I have more time to write now, so I hope I can manage to update more often and to bring some action into this fic.

The evening wasn't very eventful, the only interesting thing was that Tyler decided to shave his hair. It was getting too long. Tyler walked to the bathroom and grabbed the razor, shaving his hair off carefully. Josh sat on the floor and watched him.

Tyler cleaned the floor and wiped all the hair away. Then, he looked at himself in the mirror to see if he missed any strands. It wasn't the case and Tyler kept running his hands over his bald head. It felt good, his head felt lighter and Tyler smiled happily.

Josh pouted when he realized that he couldn't tug at Tyler's hair anymore. Tyler laughed when the alien huffed unhappily.

"It'll grow back, don't worry." He pinched Josh's cheek and the other slapped his hand away, avoiding his eyes.

"Joshie, come on." Tyler rolled his eyes and hugged him. "It's still me."

Josh sighed and rested his head on Tyler's shoulder.

 

 

They ate dinner, when it suddenly got darker outside. The rain started slowly, but increased every minute. Tyler looked outside. It was completely dark. The trees were shaking in the wind and big raindrops splashed against the windows.

Tyler switched the light on in the kitchen, cleaning the table. Josh helped him, but flinched and froze when there was lightning outside. The thunder was loud and Josh whimpered and looked at Tyler wide-eyed.

"Hey, it's alright." Tyler said but Josh jumped when the next thunder was even louder. He seemed terribly afraid.

Tyler grabbed his hand and led him to the living room. He sat down and pulled Josh down next to him. Josh squeezed his eyes shut and Tyler wrapped his arms around him, pulling him close.

"It's just thunder. You don't have to be afraid." he said softly, but flinched when the lightning was followed by thunder that sounded like an explosion right next to him.

Josh whimpered into his chest and started to shake.

Tyler rubbed his back and grabbed a blanket, wrapping it around him and Josh. "Don't worry, you're safe." he whispered, but he had to admit, it was a very heavy thunderstorm.

It was only when Tyler heard his sobs that he noticed that Josh was actually crying. It broke Tyler's heart to see him shaking and crying like this, but he didn't know how to calm him down, so he just kept rubbing Josh's back and whispering into his ear.

It didn't work and Josh kept flinching every time he heard the thunder. Tyler bit his lip. As a child, he had been afraid of thunderstorms, but had somehow overcome his fear over the years. He tried to remember what he did back then to calm himself down.

Tyler smiled when he started to sing softly. He had written a few songs in the last weeks, being somehow inspired by the alien's presence and now he sung the lyrics to Josh.

It calmed Josh down enough to stop shaking and after a few minutes he lifted his head and pecked Tyler's cheek. Tyler blushed and looked away. Josh probably didn't know what it meant to kiss someone.

Josh sighed deeply and rested his head on Tyler's chest. Tyler hummed quietly and just enjoyed his company. He realized how alone he had always felt until Josh crashed into his garden. He thought about repairing the garden shed, but he was too lazy.

When he looked down he realized that Josh's eyelids started drooping.

"Bedtime. Let's go upstairs." he said and nudged Josh's arm. Josh growled and refused to get up.

"We're not going to sleep on the couch." Tyler said sternly. "I don't want to have a stiff neck the next day. Get up."

Josh didn't move so Tyler just stood up. Josh yelped in surprise when he rolled down from the couch and hit the floor. Tyler grinned and grabbed his hand to pull him up. Josh followed him with a frown. Tyler managed to help him undress before Josh crawled on the bed and closed his eyes. Tyler sighed and switched the light off, squeezing into the bed next to Josh.

The alien snuggled closer and pressed his body against Tyler's side. Tyler wrapped his arms around him. Feeling Josh's hot body next to him felt good and Tyler drifted into sleep pretty quickly.

 

Tyler didn't notice Josh getting up the next day and leaving the room. He only woke up when he heard a thump and a loud scream.

He blinked and sat up, trying to understand what was going on.

Suddenly, he heard someone screaming his name. "Tyler!"

Tyler's eyes widened when he realized that it was Josh who was calling for him. He jumped out of the bed and raced downstairs where he found Josh sitting at the bottom of the stairs, holding his left wrist with his right hand. He looked up when he saw Tyler and the brunette saw tears of pain in his eyes.

"What happened? Did you fall down the stairs?" Tyler asked in panic and Josh nodded.

Tyler knelt down next to him. "Oh, baby." He grabbed Josh wrist carefully. Josh whimpered at the touch and tried to withdraw his hand.

Tyler helped him to stand up and they walked to the kitchen where Tyler told him to sit down. He inspected Josh's wrist and tried to move it. Although Josh whimpered it seemed like it wasn't broken, just sprained and swollen.

Tyler grabbed a bag of frozen peas, wrapping a towel around it. He placed it on Josh's wrist. Josh hissed.

"Hurts."

"I know." Tyler cupped his cheek. "But it'll be okay. We just need to cool it for at least twenty minutes. It'll get better in the next few days, I promise."

Josh closed his eyes and leaned into his touch. Tyler stroked his cheek and smiled sadly. He loved Josh, he really did and it killed him to see him hurt.

"I'll take care of you, Josh." he whispered and Josh opened his eyes.

Josh's voice was raspy when he said. "I know."


	7. Chapter 7

Josh learned more words every day. It really helped Tyler a lot with their communication because he didn't have to guess what Josh meant anymore. After a week, he could almost speak perfectly. Tyler was surprised that he suddenly could speak, but he didn't complain. He also noticed that the more words Josh learned, the more mature he got. Still, there was always the childish sparkle in his eyes that told Tyler that there was just a childlike part of the alien that would never disappear.

Josh's sprained wrist was getting better, too. He could bend it carefully, still Tyler told him not to overdo it. He didn't want Josh to get hurt again.

Josh found out that it was fun to scare Tyler with his alien mask and Tyler couldn't recall how many times he got home from work and got scared to death when the alien suddenly jumped at him. Tyler wasn't a big fan of getting scared but he saw that Josh had fun and he'd do everything to see the other man's bright grin whenever he caused Tyler to shriek in surprise when Josh jumped on him from behind. It often ended up with Tyler chasing Josh around the house, growling, hiding a smile and Josh giggling while he ran away.

Tyler had to admit, he was fast and agile. If they would play outside, Tyler was sure he wouldn't be fast enough to catch Josh.

Tyler was happy to have Josh around. Sure, he had Mark to hang out, but Mark didn't wrap his arms around him when he got home or whispered his name. He could tell that Josh was unhappy when Tyler wasn't around. He always got sad when Tyler had to go to work, but sometimes he went outside with Tyler, holding his hand and looking around curiously.

It felt like they were two best friends that happened to be roommates. Tyler loved it when Josh said his name, it felt like Josh was _his._ And Tyler had always been the clingy type, so he was glad he had Josh mostly for himself, although Mark hung out with them when he didn't have work.

Most of the days were spent with Tyler and Josh napping or watching tv together, so when Mark asked them to go watch a local band with him, Tyler agreed, realizing that maybe he should go outside more instead of walking from his bed to the fridge and back.

It was 6pm and Tyler was getting ready for Mark to pick them up at 6.30. He was excited for the show. It was just a small, local band and Mark told him that the crowd would be small, but that didn't mean that the music wasn't good. He grabbed a white button up and started to get dressed.

Josh was lying on the bed, watching videos on Tyler's phone.

"Josh?" Tyler said, but Josh didn't react, he was too caught up in what was happening on the screen. Tyler stopped buttoning up his shirt and watched him with a smile. Josh's lip was caught between his lips and his face was scrunched up in concentration.

"Josh?" Tyler tried again and the other boy looked up.

"Huh?"

"You need to get ready. Mark is going to pick us up in…" he walked to the bed and looked down on his phone in Josh's hands. "Exactly nineteen minutes."

Josh sighed and handed Tyler the phone before he walked over to Tyler, looking at the closet. "Shirt?"

Tyler nodded and handed him a black shirt along with a pair of black skinny jeans. Josh slid off his shorts and struggled to pull Tyler's jeans over his thighs. Finally, he pulled them up and stared at his legs with a frown. "Too tight. I can barely move."

"I'm sorry." Tyler bit his lip. "Try this pair."

The other pair of pants fit Josh better, but Tyler realized that Josh needed his own clothes. While Tyler was slim, Josh had more muscles and was a little bit shorter than him.

"I'll buy you clothes tomorrow." Tyler promised.

Mark rang at the door at 6.30 sharp and Tyler and Josh left the house, Tyler locking the door behind them. They walked by a grey Volkswagen parking on the sidewalk to get to Marks car.

"Idiot." Mark mumbled when they had to walk on the street because the car was blocking the way.

Josh sat down in the backseat while Tyler was in the front and Mark was driving. They talked for a few minutes before Mark glanced at the rear mirror to catch Josh's gaze.

"Dude. There's something I always wanted to ask you."

Josh hummed quietly. "What do you want to know?"

"Where are you from?"

Josh shrugged. "Space, I guess?"

Mark furrowed his brows. "Yeah, but, like, the milky way or what?"

"I don't know… maybe I know, but I don't remember." Josh said and looked out of the window.

Mark kept silent for a few minutes before he spoke again. "But what do you remember?"

Josh took a deep breath. "Nothing. Just a voice. Tyler's voice. When I woke up in his bed."

"But you remembered the time you were the… light?" Mark asked.

Josh looked at him in confusion. "I was a _light?_ "

"Yeah." Tyler laughed quietly. "You kept floating around. You even followed me to the bathroom."

"Seriously?"

Tyler nodded.

Josh blushed. "Uh, sorry."

"It's okay." Tyler said with a smile.

"Well, if you don't remember… "Mark trailed off, looking around before he turned left. "But why did you decide to stay with Tyler? Why didn't you leave?"

Tyler looked at his friend in shock. "Geez, Mark, don't give him ideas…"

Josh smiled. "Because… I like him. He's funny. He never gave me a reason to leave him."

Tyler turned and grinned at him. "I'm glad you're my friend."

"I'm glad you didn't kick me out yet." Josh said and Tyler rolled his eyes.

"Never, I promise."

They arrived at the venue a few minutes later. It was a small venue, but there was already a small crowd waiting inside. They found a spot on the right, pretty close to the stage. Tyler was excited. He loved playing music, but hearing live music was a thing he could never get enough of. He was glad Mark asked him to go, because when the band walked on stage and played the first song, he felt the familiar excitement rushing through his veins.

In moments like this, Tyler wished he'd be the one who'd jump around on stage, singing his own songs, listening to the audience singing with him. He watched the singer intensely, noticing the things he liked and thinking about the things that he would do differently.

The band had a lot of energy and the people started jumping around. Tyler lost count of how many times he got pushed accidentally, but he didn't mind. He was enjoying the music.

It was too loud to talk, so Tyler just turned to look at Josh who watched the band with big eyes, his eyes sparkling with joy. Tyler grinned and returned his attention back to the stage.

The gig was over way too soon and after the encore, the band left pretty quickly. Mark was talking to a guy about editing videos and told them to wait in the car. Tyler took the keys and they left the venue.

He was sweaty and the air outside almost felt too cold. He shivered and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Are you cold?" Josh asked and Tyler shook his head.

"It's okay."

Josh sighed and placed an arm on Tyler's shoulder, pulling him closer as they walking towards the car. Tyler looked at the ground and smiled. It seemed like Josh knew him better than he thought.

They had almost reached the car when a guy bumped into them. Josh's arm fell down from Tyler's shoulder and Tyler flinched.

"Oh, sorry." The guy apologized and looked up. He stared at Josh for a few seconds before he smiled.

"It's alright." Tyler mumbled. He was tired and cold and just wanted to go home.

The guy licked his lips. Tyler noticed that he had thinning dirty blond hair although he seemed not that much older than himself.

"Can you step to the side, please?" Tyler asked and the guy smiled brightly, sending unpleasant chills down Tyler's spine.

"Sure." He stepped to the side with a sharp nod.

Tyler grabbed Josh's hand and walked away quickly.

"Is he your boyfriend?" The guy yelled.

Tyler stopped and turned. "That's none of your business."

"What's his name?"

"My name's Josh." Josh said quietly. Tyler noticed that his body was tense.

"Josh." the guy repeated. "Interesting."

"What do you want?" Tyler snapped.

"I'm just wondering where he's from. He has an interesting accent." The guy looked at them, honest curiosity written over his face. "Is he British?"

"No, I'm not. I'm from… I'm from…" Josh stuttered.

"That's not important. Just leave us alone." Tyler hissed and glared at the guy. He didn't know why, but he didn't like the guy at all. He grabbed Josh's arm and pulled him towards Mark's car. Only when they sat down in the car he took a deep breath.

"Do you know the guy?" Josh asked.

Tyler shook his head. "No. I don't know who he is."

Josh kept silent. Tyler ran his hand through his hair, trying to calm down. His heart was racing in his chest, like his body was telling him that he had been in danger without noticing it.

He flinched when the door opened. Mark sat down and flashed a smile at him.

"Sorry for the wait."

"No problem." Tyler shrugged.

"Is something wrong?" Mark asked when he sensed Tyler's nervousness.

"Everything's alright. Just drive home, okay?"

Mark raised his eyebrows. "Okay." He turned on the ignition and started to drive.

Tyler visibly relaxed when he drove around the corner and left the venue behind. Josh placed a hand on his shoulder and the brunette sighed.

Josh leaned forward. "Are you alright?" he whispered.

"Yeah." Tyler answered and closed his eyes. He knew he was safe. Josh was with him. There was no need to worry.

When they arrived at home, Tyler already forgot about the guy on the street.

 


	8. Chapter 8

Mark stopped the car and Tyler thanked him before he and Josh got out of the car. His friend waved goodbye before he drove off.

Tyler grabbed his keys and unlocked the door. He knew he should have been tired, but he wasn't. He still felt the excitement and the vibes of the concert running through his body like aftershocks. He could still hear the cheering and singing of the crowd, could hear the riffs of the guitar and the heavy bass, but it was faint, like he heard everything underwater.

He glanced at Josh as he shoved the key into the lock and turned it. Josh looked tired and exhausted, his movements were sleepy, just focused on getting into the bed as quickly as possible. Tyler opened the door and stepped aside. Josh looked tiredly at the floor as he toed his shoes off and dropped his jacket on the floor.

Tyler wanted to smile, but a weird feeling in his chest stopped the corners of his lips to curl upward. He didn't bother to switch the light on. The room was filled with the faint humming of the fridge in the kitchen and Tyler sensed the familiar feeling of drowsiness.

The house looked blueish grey in the dark and Tyler could see the red digits of the clock switching from 11.57pm to 11.58. He realized that he had been zoning out, because Josh was already walking upstairs, stumbling tiredly towards the bedroom.

Tyler hurried to follow him, feeling suddenly wide awake. He stepped into the bedroom and saw Josh sitting on the bed, pulling his pants off. They didn't talk while they undressed and Tyler felt somehow distant.

Josh crawled onto the bed, pulling the covers over him, blinking sleepily at the brunette. Tyler climbed on the bed next to him and lied down on his back. He wanted to touch Josh, wanted to run a hand down his chest, but something held him back. Maybe it was Josh's back facing him or maybe it was his weird mood. He felt kind of nostalgic, the kind of sadness you feel when you think about an old memory.

Tyler squeezed his eyes shut, hoping for sleep to come, but after a few minutes he gave up. He felt restless, so he sat up and leaned his back against the headboard. The light of a street lamp filled the room with a dark orange light. He forgot to close the blinds, but he was too lazy to get up again.

He just stared ahead, listening to Josh's soft breathing next to him. Having Josh around felt so natural, like something in his life just fell in place. Tyler realized that he never cared about the fact that Josh was a boy (or an alien, but that wasn't important right now). He just accepted Josh in his life, accepted him for the person he was.

The kindness and joy Josh brought into his life made Tyler forget that he was stuck in a life that he didn't like that much. A circle he couldn't break out of, a job he didn't enjoy.

He had struggled, had tried to find a purpose in his life and all these thoughts just vanished when Josh was around. Tyler remembered all the sleepless night, where he would lay in bed wide awake, thinking about life. Just now he realized what of a good friend Mark was, who had supported him and cheered him up all these years.

Tyler decided to thank him for that soon. He really deserved it.

And even though Mark had been Tyler's best friend, there had been something missing. Of course, people described it as being single and it was not unusual not to have a partner, but the word didn't cover all the emotions that came with it.

Now, with Josh by his side, he realized how terrible lonely he had been all these years while he craved human touch, a body breathing beside him, arms that would hold him tightly. _Single_ didn't tell how much color life lacked without somebody you loved.

And right now, Tyler's life was colorful, although Josh wasn't his boyfriend. The possibility of Josh leaving him one day ripped Tyler's heart apart. He gasped for breath when he realized that Josh was free to go, that there was nothing holding him back except Tyler's pathetic desire for company.

Josh sighed in his sleep and turned so that he was facing Tyler. His face relaxed and his breathing deepened. Tyler reached out, his hand hovering above Josh's face. He noticed that he was shaking when he carefully touched Josh's cheek.

The boy's eyelids fluttered for a second before he stilled. Tyler gently ran his fingers over Josh's cheekbone, admiring how it looked in the dark.

He felt tears welling up in his eyes and instantly felt ridiculous. There was no reason to cry. He was just emotionally overwhelmed. Still Tyler couldn't stop crying as he watched Josh's chest rise and fall, a slow, steady rhythm that showed Tyler that he was alive, breathing right next to him, trusting him enough to be so vulnerable in his sleep.

Tyler felt his throat getting tight, so he took a deep breath, willing the tears to stop. After a few minutes, he succeeded. He wiped the tears away and lied down carefully, closing his eyes. He rested his hand next to his head, so his fingertips were brushing Josh's skin, showing him that he was right next to him.

Exhausted and tired, Tyler felt his mind slipping into unconsciousness, his thoughts spinning in until he couldn't hold onto them anymore and finally let go.

 

The next morning, Tyler felt better. He wasn't as tired anymore and actually felt rested. Josh and he had breakfast and Tyler remembered that he promised Josh to buy clothes for him. He texted Mark, asking him if he wanted to go with them, but Mark already had plans for the day.

"You don't have to spend that much… what is it called? Money? You don't have to spend that much money on me." Josh explained while he placed their empty bowls in the dishwasher.

Tyler shook his head. "No problem. Look at you, you need clothes that fit you."

"I feel bad. You wouldn't have to work all the time if you didn't have to…pay for all my stuff." Josh said contritely.

Tyler laughed quietly. "I'd still have to work to pay the bills. Don't worry about that. And you can finally stop wearing my hoodies."

Josh bit his lip. "Does it bother you?"

Tyler blushed. "No… I, uh, I like the way they smell after you wore them. They smell like… _you._ "

"Oh." Josh grinned. "That's cool. I like the way you smell, too. Like pine trees. My personal forest."

Tyler's blush deepened. "Shut up. Just hug me."

Josh stepped forward and wrapped his arms around him without hesitating.

Tyler sighed quietly and pulled Josh closer to his chest. "I'm so glad you're here." he mumbled.

"I'm glad you decided to keep me." Josh answered.

Tyler chuckled and pulled away, looking at Josh. "You don't belong me. I'm not your owner. You're free to go. You can do whatever you want." he explained.

Josh smiled. "But I don't want to go. I want to stay with you."

Tyler pecked his cheek. "I know. Let's go and get you some clothes."

He was sure seeing Josh blush after the kiss on his cheek. Tyler smiled and grabbed his car keys. "C'mon Jishwa."

Josh rolled his eyes and followed him. "That's a stupid nickname."

"It's not." Tyler grinned.

"Alright." Josh laughed. "Let's go, Ty Ty."


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> one month no ideas and suddenly a 2k chapter... My brain is weird

The drive to the mall took forever. When they finally arrived, they noticed how crowded it was. Tyler groaned while Josh grabbed his hand, staying close to him.

Tyler realized that Josh didn't feel comfortable around so many people, but the alien didn't complain, although his body was tense.

"Don't worry." Tyler mumbled and Josh squeezed his hand.

They entered the first shop where Josh tried on several pair of ripped jeans. Tyler convinced him that he needed at least one pair of not ripped jeans and they bought a plain pair of jeans for Josh. Tyler bought himself a pair of floral vans and a crop top.

Carrying several shirts, shorts, pants and underwear to the cashier, they left the mall three hours later, exhausted and tired.

They carried the heavy shopping bags to Tyler's car and Tyler opened the trunk.

"I feel bad." Josh said as he dropped the bags into the car.

"Why?" Tyler looked at him in surprise. "Do you not like the things we bought you?"

"No, I do." Josh sighed. "I just feel bad, because I can't give you anything in return."

Tyler shook his head. "Doesn't matter."

"No, seriously. You spend all this time and money on me and I want to make you happy, but I don't know how."

"You're already making me happy, silly." Tyler laughed. "Did I tell you that I cried yesterday night because I was afraid that you'd leave?"

"What?" Josh stared at him. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah." Tyler blushed and awkwardly fiddled with the hem of his shirt.

Josh grabbed his shoulder and pulled him into a hug. "Tyler, I won't leave you. Why do you keep thinking that?"

"I don't know." Tyler shrugged miserably. "I feel like I need you more than you need me."

"That's not true." Josh said quietly. "You gave me everything, Tyler. You gave me clothes, food, a home. You gave me your kindness and a place in your heart. Heck, you even let me sleep in the same bed as you!"

"Only because you're warm." Tyler joked. "And because you're a good cuddler."

Josh simply rolled his eyes. "Don't feel like you have to pay me just to make me stay. I'm gonna stay anyway. You won't get rid of me that easily."

Tyler bit his lip. "What if you have family, Josh? Out there, I mean. What if someone's waiting for you to come back?"

"I'm pretty sure I'd know." Josh said softly. "Or at least feel some kind of sadness. But I do not. If someone's waiting for me, they'd have to reach out and find me, because I'm not going to leave my best friend."

Tyler felt tears welling up at Josh's kind words. Josh reached out and cupped his chin, lifting his head slowly until their eyes met.

"Tyler, I didn't meet that many humans, but I know that you're the nicest, smartest and most beautiful human there is. Your soul is so _good_ that I can't help but wanting to learn how to be such a wonderful person." Josh explained. "I'm not good with words, but I just…" he sighed. "Honestly, you're so pure, I just want to wrap you into a blanket and protect you from all the bad things in this world."

Tyler let out a giggle. "That's what all the fangirls say about their idols. And I'm not always pure, believe me. But thank you." He took a deep breath. "You make me seem like I'm perfect, but I'm not. I'm just trying."

"That's enough. You don't have to be perfect. I'm not perfect either." Josh responded with a smile.

"Okay." Tyler sighed. "We should probably stop talking about stuff like this in the middle of a parking lot. People are already looking at us."

"Why?" Josh asked while they sat down in the car.

Tyler turned the ignition and looked into the rear mirror. "We probably looked like two gay guys that were about to make out. Anyway, are you hungry? I could kill for some Taco Bell."

 

 

They wound up in the next Taco Bell, eating Tacos and drinking Redbull. Josh, who had never tasted the sugar sweet drink, or at least claimed not to remember a Redbull machine in space, loved it as much as Tyler did and they ended up discussing the Taco Bell menu with the perfect drink for a few minutes.

Then Josh wanted to know about Tyler's work and Tyler told him that he was working some boring office job where he made just enough money to live. But it worked and Tyler didn't have a better option, so he just told himself to enjoy the free time he has as much as he could.

"I'd love to be a musician." he explained. "Someone who has something to say. I want people to listen to my music. I want to play arenas. But I'm not good enough and I don't have a band."

"You're a great singer." Josh said.

Tyler shrugged. "My voice is not that impressive."

"I like it." Josh took a bite of his taco.

"Let's go to a restaurant this evening." Tyler suggested. "Something fancy."

"Are you sure? We can order pizza or something."

"No, I really want to go out today." Tyler shook his head. "Let's do it, Jish. I wanna take my boy out tonight."

Josh laughed and his eyes crinkled the most adorable way. "Alright."

 

 

The restaurant they decided to go to was a good choice. The walls had a nice creamy color and the chairs were incredibly comfortable.

Even tough Tyler had to take a deep breath when he looked at the menu and saw how expensive the food was, they had fun.

It didn't matter that they saw each other almost 24/7, they still had things to talk about. Josh was getting better at using knife and fork and only spilled his food one time. Tyler kept teasing him, but Josh didn't care. He knew Tyler was just messing with him.

Full and with much less money in his wallet, Tyler and Josh left the restaurant two hours later. It was a clear night, they could see the stars above their heads.

"That's your home." Tyler said reverently.

"Yeah… it's beautiful, isn't it?" Josh agreed.

They stopped in the middle of the sidewalk to watch the stars.

"It's so far away." Tyler tilted his head back. "It must take forever to reach one of the stars."

"The entire universe." Josh sighed quietly. "I think I miss it."

"You remember it?" Tyler asked in surprise.

Josh shook his head and started walking. "Just… colors, bright colors. But everything's blurred. Maybe it's just my imagination. Things I saw on earth and mistake them to be part of my home. Anyway, it's beautiful. I wish I could see it every day."

They walked by a tattoo shop when Tyler stopped. "You can tattoo it on your skin."

Josh furrowed his brows. "What do you mean?"

Tyler showed him his wrist and pointed at the three thin lines across it. "I have tattoos too. You can get tattooed whatever you want."

"Even the sky?"

"Even the sky." Tyler smiled. "A galaxy if you want. Stars and sunsets."

"Sounds beautiful." Josh returned his smile. "Maybe one day."

They walked back to Tyler's house in silence. It was the comfortable kind of way, when you feel no pressure to talk, that Kind of silence you can only experience with people you feel safe with.

Tyler looked at Josh and saw the stars in his eyes.

 

 

They slept in the next day. Tyler was glad that he had a day off. He wasn't keen on going back to work the next day, but needs must. Josh was awake before him, but he was still sleepy. They drifted off again with Josh's head resting on Tyler's chest and Tyler's arms being wrapped around Josh's shoulders.

It was warm and safe and Tyler didn't want to get up but his stomach growled eventually, right when Josh snuggled closer.

Tyler cursed his own body. The traitor. Right when things were getting really comfy.

Josh lifted his head and smiled at Tyler sleepily before he yawned and sat up.

"Stay." Tyler said and grabbed Josh's wrist.

"But you're hungry."

"I'm not hungry. I don't know what you're talking about." Tyler deadpanned but his stomach betrayed him with a loud growl.

Josh smirked and hopped out of the bed. Tyler sighed and shuffled to the bathroom, while Josh went downstairs to make breakfast.

Tyler took a long shower, enjoying the way the hot water poured down and loosened his muscles. He had to get out when Josh knocked at the door, telling him to hurry up because breakfast was ready.

Throwing on a pair of shorts and a shirt, Tyler hurried downstairs, ruffling his wet hair.

They ate quickly and afterwards Tyler grabbed his ukulele, playing a few songs. Josh listened in awe. He loved the way Tyler played and although he only understood some parts of the song Tyler was currently playing, he loved it. Tyler stopped playing after half an hour.

"The weather is nice. We should go out for a walk." he suggested.

While Josh brushed his teeth, Tyler changed into a pair of skinny jeans. Soon, they were ready to leave.

Tyler loved going for a walk, it cleared his head and made him forget about the bad things in his life.

"Tyler?" Josh asked after a few minutes of Walking next to each other in silence.

"Yeah?" Tyler looked up.

"I…there's something I don't understand." Josh gnawed at his lip. "When we talked in the parking lot yesterday you said we looked like two _gay_ guys. What does it mean?"

Tyler raised an eyebrow. "The word 'gay'?"

Josh nodded.

"Well, it's…" Tyler thought about it for a few seconds. "It's when two guys love each other. They're homosexual."

"But what does love mean?"

Tyler stopped abruptly. "You… you don't know?"

Josh shook his head sheepishly.

"Oh… wow." Tyler released a long breath. "You don't love?"

"I don't know." Josh said in confusion. "Explain it to me."

"Uh, well." Tyler cleared his throat. "Love is… liking another person. Thinking about them, always. Wanting to be there for them, to make them happy. Wanting to have sex, to have a family, to spend your entire life with them. Do you know what sex is?"

"No." Josh said nervously. "At least I don't think so."

"So the birds and bees talk it is." Tyler mumbled. "If you're in love with someone, you, uh. You want to be near them. You want to hold their hand, to kiss them. You want to touch them and make them feel good. It's, uh, an evolutionary thing, to make sure that the humans have babies and don't cease to exist."

"So, a survival strategy?" Josh asked.

"Kind of." Tyler shrugged. "I'm not good at biology. I just… do it. Everybody does."

"So it feels good?" Josh was curious.

"Yeah, it does." Tyler smiled. "It feels amazing. You usually have sex with someone you trust, someone you love. It's a very intimate moment. It's difficult to describe, you have to see it yourself."

"Okay."

"How does your species procreate?"

Josh looked at Tyler. "I don't know. I can't remember."

"There are also a lot of songs about love. I can show you some of them at home and maybe you'll understand it better."

"Yeah, maybe."

Josh seemed satisfied with Tyler's answer and asked him about his songwriting. Tyler decided to step by the music store he loved.

"Let's go inside. I bet you'll like it. They have amazing instruments." Tyler said, his eyes sparkling with happiness. He loved the music store. It always felt like a second home to him.

He opened the door and they stepped inside. The store was almost empty. Tyler looked around. He saw a few ukuleles hanging at the wall and he wanted to try them out so badly. He loved his uke, but it was a cheap one, he just couldn't afford a better one.

Only seconds later, he spotted the keyboard he wanted so badly. His old one broke a few weeks ago and he had been saving money for it for a few months, but he always needed the money for more important things like getting his car fixed or something like that. He didn't make enough money to be able to save much, so whenever he had a few dollars left each month, he put them into a glass on his desk, hoping he'd have eoungh money someday.

Until now, it was unaffordable and Tyler hadn't been playing the piano for weeks now. He couldn't practice and was sure he already forgot everything he knew.

Knowing he was allowed to try it out, he sat down in front of the keyboard and pressed the on button. Placing his fingers on the right keys, he immediately forgot everything around him when he pressed his fingers down and started to play.

The sound of the music brought Tyler into a different world, where only he and the music existed. He realized that he started to relax and while his fingers moved over the keys, Josh stood next to him and thought that this was the most beautiful thing he had ever heard.


	10. Chapter 10

After a few minutes of playing, Tyler withdrew his hands and took a deep breath. Playing the piano never failed to calm him down.

He stood up and ran his hand over the black plastic with a sigh. He really wanted the keyboard. Tyler bit his lip and turned.

"It was wonderful. The song you played, I mean." Josh said.

"Thanks." Tyler smiled. "I wrote it myself."

"You're so talented." Josh looked at him, admiration written over his face.

Tyler shrugged. "Years of practice. I've played since I'm sixteen. My mom gave me a little keyboard for Christmas and I got hooked. But my keyboard at home broke and now I'm saving money for a new one."

"I wish I could do it." Josh mumbled quietly.

"I could teach you." Tyler grinned. He urged Josh to sit down and grabbed his hands, placing his fingers carefully on the right keys.

"So, you need to press this key with your right hand… yeah, right. And on the left side…"

Tyler started to shiver when his hands brushed over Josh's fingers. He was almost leaning on Josh, looking down at the piano over his shoulder and could feel the warmth Josh was radiating through the fabric of his shirt.

"Just like that." Tyler whispered, painfully aware of how close his mouth was to Josh's neck. He just wanted to turn his head and kiss the spot right beneath Josh's sharp jaw.

Tyler gritted his teeth, suppressing the urge to touch the man sitting in front of him. He was sure, if he'd reach out he would lose control, just the faintest touch would lead to Tyler pushing Josh to the floor, bracketing his hips and kissing him passionately.

The brunette could almost feel how amazing Josh's lips would feel against his own.

"Ugh, it's so difficult." Josh groaned when he pressed the wrong keys.

"You can do." Tyler encouraged him.

Josh tried, he really tried, but after a few minutes he gave up. "I just can't do it. I'm horrible at playing the piano."

Tyler patted his shoulder. "It's okay. It takes a lot of practice. Maybe you're better at playing another instrument. I think-"

His words were drowned out by the noise of somebody playing the drums on the other side of the room. Josh turned and walked towards the guy playing the drums.

"What is this instrument called?" he asked.

"Drums." Tyler explained over the noise, following him. "It's a really important instrument. It's all about rhythm."

Josh beamed as he watched the guy playing as hard as he could, headbanging to the song he was playing to.

After a few more minutes, the man stopped playing and stood up. He caught Josh's gaze and smiled. "You wanna play?" he asked and handed Josh the sticks.

Josh looked at the sticks in his hands and then back at the drums. He shrugged and climbed behind the drumset, sitting down. He experimentally hit the different drums and cymbals. Tyler watched him. He didn't know how to play the drums, so he couldn't teach Josh.

But it didn't matter, because Josh seemed to figure it out pretty quickly. Yeah, the first tries were off-beat and sounded horrible, but after a few minutes of playing, Josh succeeded to play an easy pattern.

He was smiling brightly and really enjoyed himself.

When Tyler saw him so happily, he thought about buying him the drumset, but when he saw how much he'd have to pay for it, he almost fainted. It would take a long, long time to save enough money for a drumset like this.

Tyler hated the fact that money was always a problem.

A little bit sweaty and exhausted Josh stopped playing and placed the sticks carefully on the snare drum.

"That was fun." he grinned.

"Maybe that's _your_ instrument." Tyler said.

"Maybe." Josh ran a hand through his pretty pink hair. The color never seemed to fade and it fascinated Tyler.

"We should go home and have some pizza for dinner. I'm starving." Tyler suggested.

"Yeah, me too." Josh flashed him another bright smile.

They turned and wanted to walk to the exit, when they heard a high-pitched beeping. Tyler froze when he saw someone entering the shop. He recognized the person as the guy he walked into in front of the concert venue a few days ago.

Same dirty blond hair, same bright teeth. So white, they almost seemed unreal.

Tyler noticed that his breath had started to speed up.

The guy looked at a small device in his hands. The deafening beeping increased when he walked towards them.

Tyler tried to grab Josh's arm and pull him behind the drumset to hide, but the guy had already looked up. His frown broke into a grin when he saw the two of them standing there.

Tyler swallowed and glanced at Josh. The alien didn't seem to feel uncomfortable, he just looked confused.

He heard whispering and noticed that the other people in the store already started looking at them.

An employee appeared and tapped the guy's shoulder.

"Excuse me, Sir, but could you please shut your device off? It's too loud and bothers the other costumers."

The guy looked at him. "Oh, yeah, sure. I'm sorry."

He turned off the beeping and looked at Tyler and Josh. "Oh, hey, I didn't expect you to be here too." he said smugly. "Josh, right?"

Josh nodded. "And that's my friend Tyler." He grabbed Tyler's hand and squeezed it.

"I'm Hans Yaeger. It's nice to see you again."

"Likewise." Tyler growled. "We were just about to leave. See you."

He walked to the door, pulling Josh with him.

"But I wanted-" Yaeger protested.

Tyler ignored him. They left the shop and started to jog down the street, seeing the familiar grey Volkswagen parking in front of the shop. Tyler really started to hate this car.

"Tyler, what's wrong?" Josh asked.

Tyler breathed out angrily as they ran down the street. "I hate this guy."

"Why?"

Tyler shook his head. "I don't know. He's sketchy."

"He's just a guy." Josh gasped for breath. "For God's sake, Tyler, stop running!"

Tyler slowed down as soon as they left the shop far enough behind. "And what about this crazy beeping thing in his hands? Something's off about him. I bet he's following us."

"You're being paranoid." Josh mumbled.

Tyler took a deep breath. "Whatever. I just don't want to see him again."

Josh looked back. The guy or his car was nowhere to be seen. "I think we got rid of him."

Tyler showed a tight-lipped smile. "That's enough adrenaline for a day. Let's go home and get our well-deserved pizza."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's always a german villain in the movies, so why not in this fic?


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw: vomit

The pizza was awful and after a few bites, they decided to throw it away. Apparently these two mouthful of bad Hawaii pizza were enough for Tyler's stomach to decide that getting rid of the food was the only solution.

It was in the middle of the night when Tyler woke up. He needed a few seconds to notice that his stomach was grumbling. And not in a good way.

More in a get-the-fuck-out-of-the-bed-and-run-to-the-bathroom kind of way. Josh was sleeping deeply next to him so Tyler jumped out of the bed as quietly as he could and rushed to the bathroom.

He switched the light on and crouched down in front of the toilet, gagging and throwing up. Every few minutes, Tyler glanced at the clock, realizing that the night was getting shorter and he wasn't getting any sleep. Considering he had work the next day, Tyler wished he could finally go back to bed but whenever he stood up, another wave of nausea forced him to sit down again.

Tyler sighed and cleared his throat. The bile was hurting his throat and his eyes kept closing. He drifted off and woke up only a second before he crashed down on the floor.

It was 4 in the morning when he finally crawled under the covers again, wrapping his arms around his aching stomach and listening to Josh's breathing.

 

The sound of his alarm clock woke Tyler the next morning. He groaned and squeezed his eyes shut, turning the annoying bleeping off.

He heard the sheets rustling next to him and soon felt Josh's hand on his arm, shaking him carefully.

"You need to get up, Tyler." Josh whispered.

Tyler sighed and pressed his face into the pillow, not moving an inch. "'M tired." he growled when Josh shook him again.

"You have work today." Josh said softly. "You don't want to be late, do you?"

"I know." Tyler growled. "Stop fussing over me, you're not my mom."

Josh withdrew his hand. "I'm sorry, I just wanted to help."

"I don't need your help, thanks." Tyler spat and groaned when he his stomach contracted painfully.

Josh kept quiet for a few seconds, before he got up and grabbed a pair of skinny jeans, pulling them over his legs. "I'm gonna make breakfast. You can come down when you're ready."

He headed downstairs and left Tyler alone in the bedroom.

After a few minutes, Tyler took a deep breath and stood up, gritting his teeth at the sudden pain in his stomach. He stopped, breathing deeply and waiting for the pain to fade away. Slowly, he started to get dressed but right when he pulled his shirt over his head, he felt his stomach turning again.

Tyler gagged and threw the shirt away, stumbling to the bathroom and throwing up again. Tears started running down his cheeks and he was shaking. He gasped for breath when he felt a warm hand on his back.

"Tyler, are you okay? What's wrong?" Josh asked and rubbed his back.

"I feel sick." Tyler took a deep breath. "My stomach hurts so much, Josh." he whimpered.

"I'm sorry, Tyler." Josh sighed. "I think you should rest."

Tyler nodded. "I don't think I can go to work today."

"It's okay. You need to rest and to get better." Josh wiped Tyler's tears away and handed him a glass of water.

Tyler took a few sips. He was still shaking and felt weak and tired. "I'll call in sick."

With Josh's help, he walked back to the bed and sat down. Josh handed him the phone and Tyler explained that he wouldn't be able to go to work today. After the call, he lied down and closed his eyes.

"Do you want something to drink? Tea maybe?" Josh asked and pulled the covers to Tyler's chin.

"No, thanks." Tyler sighed. "I just want to sleep."

"Okay." Josh caressed his cheek and kissed his forehead before he stood up. "I'll let you sleep. Just call me if you need me, okay?"

Tyler nodded weakly, already drifting off. Josh left the room, leaving the door ajar.

 

It was already 2pm when Tyler woke up, feeling slightly better. At least he could get up without feeling the urge to throw up again.

Josh was sitting downstairs, watching tv. He jumped up when Tyler shuffled into the living room, blanket wrapped around his thin body.

"Are you feeling better?" Josh asked in concern.

Tyler nodded and showed him a tiny smile.

"I made soup." Josh walked to the kitchen and returned with a bowl and a spoon, handing both to Tyler. The brunette sat down on the couch and stared at it suspiciously.

"I didn't know you could cook."

Josh laughed. "I can't. I researched it. It's just an instant soup I bought at the store."

"You went out there alone?" Tyler sounded worried.

"Nothing happened." Josh reassured him. "It wasn't dangerous. No one talked to me."

"What about the weird guy?" Tyler asked, slurping the soup that tasted actually good.

"Nowhere to be seen. You need to stop worrying about him."

Tyler shrugged. "I just want to keep you safe."

"I can take care of my own, don't worry." Josh smiled. Then, he sighed. "I wish I could help you with paying the rent and stuff. I should try to find a job."

Tyler shook his head. "That won't work. You have no identity documents, no family. You've never had a job before, you have no experience. I don't think that's a good idea. Don't worry about me, I can pay for the rent."

Josh hung his head. "I just want to help you."

"You're helping me." Tyler said softly. "Right now, you're helping me to feel better."

"That's not enough." Josh protested.

"It is." Tyler smiled. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Tyler set the bowl down and spoke up.

"How old are you, Josh?"

Josh shrugged. "How old are you?"

"Twenty-six. Twenty-seven on December 1st." Tyler answered.

Josh grinned. "Awesome. I'm Twenty-seven."

"Really?" Tyler raised an eyebrow.

"No. I just want to be older than you." Josh laughed.

Tyler pouted. "That's unfair. You can't just choose your age."

"Well, maybe I'm a thousand years old. Maybe just a few years. I don't know. Twenty-seven is a good age." Josh shrugged.

Tyler sighed. "Okay, if you really want to be older than me…"

"How are you feeling?" Josh asked.

"Better. Your soup helped a lot." Tyler responded with a smile. "But I'm still tired. Actually I just want to cuddle and rest right now."

Josh smiled, sat down next to him and wrapped his arms around him. They found a comfortable position, Tyler resting his head on Josh's chest. Tyler glanced up at Josh and the alien leaned down to bury his nose in Tyler's hair.

"What are you doing?" Tyler asked with a chuckle.

"You hair smells amazing. I love it." Josh confessed.

"I love your hair, too." Tyler reached up and tried to run his hand through Josh's pink hair, but bumped his hand against Josh's face instead.

"Sorry." Tyler giggled. He looked down and ran his hand along Josh's arm that was wrapped around him. He smiled when he saw that Josh got goose bumps where he touched him.

He interlaced their fingers. Josh's breath was tickling his ear, but he loved it. Tyler noticed how his heart started to beat faster when he realized how close they were and how intimate their touches were. He bit his lip and turned his head, catching Josh's gaze.

His friend's eyes were dark and he was watching Tyler attentively. Tyler noticed how soft his lips looked and how adorable the tiny freckles on his nose were.

Slowly, he reached out and placed a hand on Josh's neck, pulling him down. Only seconds later, he felt Josh's lips on his own and Tyler's heart started racing under his rips. It felt amazing, but he wanted more.

Tyler turned and sat up, bracketing Josh's waist with his legs. He leaned in and connected their lips again. Their lips moved with more force, hungry for more.

Tyler was sure his stomach was filled with a million butterflies, because he felt suddenly light enough to fly.

"I love you, Josh." he whispered against the other boy's lips.

"I think I love you too, Tyler." Josh whispered back, smiling against his lips.

"Don't ever stop kissing me." Tyler said and caught Josh's lips for another kiss.

"I don't think that's possible." Josh laughed quietly.

They pulled apart after a few more kisses and Tyler's eyes grew wide. "Your hair…" he whispered.

Josh stared at him. "What's wrong with it?"

"It's red!" Tyler exclaimed.

"Oh." Josh's face flushed. "Sorry. I don't know why that happened."

"Maybe because of your arousal." Tyler said with a wink.

Josh blushed even more. "Maybe."

"I like it." Tyler said. "It suits you."

"Thank you." Josh mumbled and buried his face in Tyler's shoulder. "Now stop embarrassing me."

"But I love to see you blushing." Tyler explained. "But you're hot no matter what." he added.

Josh groaned. He was sure his face couldn't get any more red by the time Tyler slid off his lap.

"It's okay." Tyler whispered and pecked his lips. "I love you. I just want you to know that. I'm so glad to have you around."

Josh smiled. "I'm glad to have you, too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY they kissed


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I decided to try to write two of my fics at the same time. It might take longer for me to write another chapter, but I want to wrap up both fics within the next few weeks.  
> I'm sorry you guys had to wait so long for another update.

Tyler decided to stay at home for one more day before returning to work. It didn't matter that he still felt a little bit sick, because he had kissed Josh and that was the most amazing thing that could've happened.

Whenever Tyler thought about their kiss, he blushed and a silly smile crept on his face.

Josh was always around, nursing him to make his stomach pain go away and Tyler managed to steal a few more kisses from him.

"Am I gay now?" Josh asked when he sat down next to Tyler, handing him a cup of tea. Tyler wasn't a tea guy, but since Josh had found out about the internet, he kept looking up the silliest things and did everything to make Tyler feel better.

Tyler laughed quietly. "Well, I guess, yeah. Unless you're attracted to girls, too."

"I've never met a girl." Josh said thoughtfully.

"You will, someday. Aren't there different genders where you live?" Tyler blew into the cup, trying to cool down the hot drink.

Josh sighed. "I wish I'd know. I can't remember a single thing. Sometimes I wonder if I'm the only one out there."

Tyler smiled sympathetically. "Maybe we can find out more about your species."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, Tyler sipping at his tea and Josh probably thinking about space when Tyler spoke up. "Josh, do you want to be my boyfriend?"

Josh looked at him. "What does it mean?"

"It means that I'm the only one who gets to kiss you." Tyler said with a grin and Josh smiled shyly.

"That's okay. You're… you're a really good kisser. It felt good."

Tyler placed the cup on the table, leaning in. "Then why don't we kiss some more?"

 

In the middle of the night, Tyler woke up drenched in sweat, his body feeling too hot under the covers. He pushed them aside and sat up, breathing heavily.

Josh stirred next to him before opening his eyes and sitting up. "Tyler? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I-" Tyler gasped for air. "I'm okay, it was just a nightmare."

Josh placed a comforting hand on his arm. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Tyler wiped the sweat off his face, taking a deep breath. "It was about you… you built a rocket ship out of my kitchen supplies and suddenly the sky was so close… I could see all the planets and the stars and they were so bright… You decided to leave me to go home and I-" his voice cracked.

"I begged you to stay, but you left anyway."

"I'm not gonna leave you, Tyler." Josh assured him. "I love you, I want to be with you, okay?"

Tyler nodded weakly. Josh wrapped an arm around him and gently pulled him down. "Don't be scared, Tyler." he whispered. "I'm here."

"It's just... I need you." Tyler said quietly. "You're so important to me, Josh."

Josh rubbed his back softly. "I need you, too, Tyler."

"What would've happened if you didn't crash into my garden?" Tyler asked and Josh furrowed his brows.

"I crashed into your garden?"

"Yeah… I know you don't remember anything before you woke up as, well, as Josh, but it was kinda scary. It was already dark outside and I was watching tv and suddenly there was a loud crash. You destroyed my garden shed, because you were inside a stone and you went through the roof."

"I was…okay." Josh laughed quietly. "That's so weird."

"I still have it. The stone I mean." Tyler said. "I can show it to you tomorrow."

Josh pressed a kiss on Tyler's head. "That would be great. Now, try to sleep."

Tyler snuggled closer and closed his eyes. Josh was better than any pillow. And he was warm, too. Tyler, who was still shivering when the sweat on his body dried slowly, pressed himself against Josh's body. He couldn't remember if he ever felt so comfortable before Josh came into his life. Probably not.

 

 

"It has to be somewhere… hold on." Tyler said, crouching down.

They stood inside Tyler's destroyed shed, looking for the black stone. Tyler reached under workbench, running his hand over the dirty floor.

"Ha!" he sat up with a triumphant smile on his face, holding a small piece of the black stone in his hand.

Josh took it carefully, staring at it intently. He turned it in his hand, watching the way it sparkled in the dusty light that fell through the tiny window.

Tyler stood up, dusting off his pants. "The stone surrounded you. You were in the middle of it, but it broke apart when it crashed against the floor."

Josh sighed. "I can't remember any of it."

"I think it was kind of a protective shell." Tyler tried to explain. "You were hatching when the time was right."

"Hatching?" Josh frowned. "Like a chicken?"

Tyler chuckled. "Yeah, kinda. Although it was a very weird way to do it."

Josh looked at him. "Are serious right now?"

"Why knows?" Tyler shrugged. "Chicken Josh, how cute. Or more like a rooster, because of the red hair, you know?"

"You're so funny." Josh shook his head while Tyler laughed quietly. "I don't think I'm related to birds."

Tyler imitated a cockcrow, then doubled over in laughter while Josh sighed, slipping the stone into his pocket.

"You're so…" he failed to find the right word.

"Funny?" Tyler asked with a grin.

Josh rolled his eyes. "Annoying. Can we now go inside and try to find out what kind of stone it is?"

"Okay." Tyler giggled, but managed to compose himself.

 

 

They found lots of information about rocks from space, but nothing seemed like the black stone that was currently placed on the table in the living room. Tyler texted Mark to come over later to hang out and help them with their research. After an hour of reading different articles, they got bored and followed a link to a website about gems, which led them to a jewelry website which led to Tyler explaining Josh what the word marriage meant.

They ended up watching cat videos, which Josh enjoyed a whole lot.

"It's the cat in you." Tyler teased him. "That's why you like them so much, you're related to them."

"First a chicken, now a cat." Josh rolled his eyes as they watched a cat clapping its paws. "What's next?"

"Maybe a cheetah?" Tyler smiled. "They're also cats, but way more dangerous. And they're hella fast."

"I could be your pet cheetah." Josh said.

"That would be kinda cool." Tyler nodded. "Can I see your fangs?"

Josh hesitated. "I don't know if I'm able to change my teeth into fangs. It just happened, I'm not sure if I can control it."

"Oh, come on. Please, become a kitty cat." Tyler begged.

Josh snorted. "I'm not gonna change into a kitten."

"Joshie, please." Tyler whined but Josh shook his head.

"Not happening."

"Ugh." Tyler pouted. "You're no fun."

"What if I can't control it and end up as a cat for the rest of my life?" Josh asked. "It's too risky."

"Okay, fine." Tyler agreed. "But I promise, if you were a cat, I'd cuddle you all day."

"You can do it now." Josh said sheepishly. "If you want to, of course."

"Of course I want to." Tyler said, pulling Josh into his lap right when the doorbell rang.

"Use the spare key, Mark!" Tyler yelled, unwilling to let Josh go.

He connected their lips for another sweet kiss and Josh sighed quietly, leaning into him. A few seconds later, Mark walked into the living room, freezing when he saw Josh on Tyler's lap, his face buried in the crook of Tyler's neck.

"What are you guys doing?"

"Working." Tyler explained, placing his hand on Josh's waist.

Mark walked over to look at the laptop screen. " _Funny cats compilation no.32._ Pretty hard working, I see. Please tell me you haven't been watching the other thirty-one videos. It's not- are you guys kissing?!"

"Yeah." Tyler said, pulling Josh down again to bite Josh's bottom lip softly. Josh growled quietly and Tyler smiled, pressing his cheek against Josh's.

Mark cleared his throat. "I, uh… what happened between you two?"

"I love him and Josh loves me." Tyler said happily and Josh grinned, pecking his lips.

"That's like a Disney movie." Mark grumbled. "Mysterious alien ends up on earth and falls in love with a human. And they live happily ever after."

"I hope so." Tyler looked at him. "Josh's my boyfriend now."

Mark shrugged. "As long as you guys keep it G-rated around me… and make sure you don't transform into something weird if you decide to have sex."

"Do you think something like this could happen?" Josh asked, biting his lip.

"I don't know, I mean you're from space, right?" Mark said.

"Don't be ridiculous." Tyler shook his head. "He's been around for a few weeks and nothing happened."

"Anyway." Mark clapped his hands, his gaze drifting to the stone. "Show me what you found out so far."

 

 

 

"Nothing! We've been doing research for hours and we found nothing." Tyler said angrily.

"Don't get frustrated." Mark tried to calm him down. "We probably need to show the stone to a specialist."

"And tell them what? That I have an alien at home?" Tyler crossed his arms and looked at the black, glittering stone with a frown. "I hate this. Why can't we just find out you're from Mars and that's it?"

"It would be too easy. And I'm pretty sure some NASA people would've already found out if there was life on Mars. Especially aliens." Mark explained.

"Don't worry." Josh patted Tyler's thigh. "It's late, we'll try to find out more another time. You should go to bed, you have work tomorrow, remember?"

Tyler groaned. "Thanks for reminding me."

Mark yawned. "I should head home too." He stood up. "See you guys."

He waved at them and then left, while Josh convinced Tyler to go to bed.

It only worked when Josh claimed to be tired anyway and although Tyler didn't believe him, he obeyed. Josh was his soft spot and he knew it.


End file.
